JP2007230730A - Conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying device capable of correcting the displacement of the position of a recording medium while suppressing the defective correction due to the buckling. <P>SOLUTION: In this conveying device, holding plates 18A, 18B are disposed on the upper side of a conveyor belt 12. The holding plate 18B is wider than the holding plate 18A, and arranged along the side of the conveyor belt 12 on the opposite side of a guide 14. Circular arrangement holes 22 are formed in the holding plate 18B. The arrangement holes 22 (seven in quantity in this embodiment) are disposed on the side near the guide 14 on the upstream side in the conveying direction X, and disposed at the positions apart from the guide 14 toward the downstream side. Three arrangement holes on the upstream side in the conveying direction X are so formed that their distances from the guide 14 are smaller than the width of the recording medium S. The other four arrangement holes on the downstream side are so formed that their distances from the guide 14 are larger than the width of the recording medium S. Balls 21 are disposed in the arrangement holes 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport device that transports a recording medium such as paper.

  In general, in an image forming apparatus, a paper folding machine, or the like, when a sheet or the like is conveyed, the sheet being conveyed may be displaced due to various factors. In such a case, if the sheet is sent to the image forming unit or the like with its position shifted, an inconvenience such as being formed in a state where the image is shifted with respect to the sheet occurs.

  For this reason, these apparatuses incorporate a sheet aligning device that corrects misalignment of sheets during conveyance. As this type of sheet aligning device, there is known an aligning method based on a so-called side registration (hereinafter, abbreviated as a side register) that corrects a positional deviation of a sheet based on a side edge of a sheet being conveyed (Patent Document). 1).

  As a conventional paper transport device adopting the above alignment method, a reference guide is provided along the transport direction on one side of the paper transport path, and a skew roll is disposed in the paper transport path. The paper being transported is brought closer to the reference guide side, the side edge of the paper is abutted against the reference guide, side registration (position shift of the paper side edge in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction) and side skew (with respect to the paper transport direction) There is known one that simultaneously corrects (the inclination of the sheet side edge).

  In this type of paper transport device, when the side edge of the paper is abutted against the reference guide by the skew roll, a slip is generated by a certain force acting between the paper and the skew roll. Using the phenomenon, the side edge of the paper is caused to travel along the reference guide.

  However, in the conventional sheet conveying apparatus, before and after the side edge of the sheet is abutted against the reference guide, the conveyance resistance when the sheet is conveyed by the skew roll is greater after the abutting. Then, slippage of the skew roll accompanying the change in the conveyance resistance causes a paper conveyance delay in the paper conveyance direction.

As a countermeasure, it may be possible to increase the paper conveyance force by increasing the paper nip pressure (clamping pressure) in the skew roll. In such a case, the paper tends to be bent by being abutted against the reference guide. . In particular, thin paper with low stiffness tends to be cramped. As a result, side register and side skew correction defects are caused.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-295948

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus capable of correcting a positional deviation of a recording medium while suppressing a correction failure due to buckling. It is in.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the transport device according to claim 1 is provided on one side of the transport path, and positions the side edge of the recording medium to be transported, and abuts against the guide. A conveying belt that obliquely conveys the recording medium, a plurality of nipping members that are arranged on the conveying belt so as to be loaded with their own weight, and are non-directionally rotatable, and a holding member that holds the nipping member And a buckling suppressing means for reducing a force with which the recording medium is pressed against the guide after one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide.

  In the transport apparatus having the above-described configuration, the recording medium is transported obliquely with respect to the guide by the transport belt and is abutted against the guide. At this time, a sandwiching member is placed on the recording medium, and the recording medium is sandwiched between the conveyance belt and the sandwiching member by a load due to the weight of the sandwiching member. When the recording medium is abutted against the guide, the recording medium starts to move while slipping on the conveying belt so that the side edge is conveyed along the guide. The recording medium is pinched while rotating according to the traveling direction. As the conveyance progresses, the side registration and the side skew are corrected and the recording medium is arranged along the guide.

  By the way, since the correction is completed after the recording medium is arranged along the guide, no force is required to press the recording medium against the guide. Rather, in order to suppress the buckling of the recording medium, the pressing is not necessary. It is desirable to reduce the force. Therefore, in the present invention, the force with which the recording medium is pressed against the guide after the one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide is reduced by the buckling suppression means.

  According to the above configuration, since the force with which the recording medium is pressed against the guide after the correction of the positional deviation is reduced, it is possible to suppress the buckling of the recording medium.

  The buckling suppression means material according to the present invention is configured by disposing a plurality of the clamping members at a position farther from the guide than the width of the recording medium. can do.

  According to the above configuration, when one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide, the plurality of sandwiching members arranged at positions farther from the guide than the width of the recording medium are separated from the recording medium. Accordingly, the force with which the recording medium is pressed against the conveyance belt is reduced, and the force with which the recording medium is pressed against the guide can also be reduced.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, a sensor for detecting the position of the recording medium on the transport belt is further provided.

  Thus, by providing the detection sensor for the position of the recording medium on the conveyance belt, it is possible to detect the timing when the position correction of the recording medium is completed.

  Further, according to the present invention, as described in claim 4, after the buckling suppression unit detects that one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide by the sensor, the conveyance belt is used. The direction is changed so as to approach a direction parallel to the guide.

  Here, changing the direction of the conveying belt means changing the conveying direction by moving the conveying belt. In the present invention, before the position of the recording medium is corrected, the conveyance belt and the guide have an angle so as to abut the recording medium against the guide. However, the conveyance belt and the guide are made parallel by the buckling suppression means. Move the conveyor belt in the direction. In addition, although it is preferable that a conveyance belt and a guide become parallel, it does not necessarily need to be parallel and should just be near parallel rather than the original state.

  Further, according to the present invention, as described in claim 5, after the buckling suppression unit detects that one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide by the sensor, the clamping member A plurality of them are moved so as not to contact the recording medium.

  According to the above configuration, since the plurality of clamping members are not in contact with each other, the force with which the recording medium is pressed against the conveyance belt is reduced, and as a result, the force with which the recording medium is pressed against the guide is also reduced, thereby suppressing the buckling of the recording medium can do.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the clamping member is a spherical ball.

  In this way, by using the ball, it is possible to configure a holding member that can be easily rotated non-directionally.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to correct a positional deviation of a recording medium while suppressing a correction failure due to buckling.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a transport apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a transfer device 10 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a top view of the transfer device 10 as viewed from above. The conveyance device 10 conveys the recording medium S such as paper or an OHP sheet along the conveyance path W while correcting the side registration and the side skew, and is built in the image forming apparatus or the paper folding machine.

  The transport device 10 includes a transport belt 12, a guide 14, holding plates 18 </ b> A and 18 </ b> B, and balls 20 and 21.

  The guide 14 is provided on one side of the transport path W, and has a side wall portion 15 and a lower plate portion 16. The side wall portion 15 has a contact surface 15A that is vertically arranged and against which the recording medium S is abutted. The abutting surface 15A is positioned along the conveyance path W so that the recording medium S is positioned in a predetermined state and conveyed to the next process. The lower plate portion 16 is orthogonal to the side wall portion 15 and is disposed on substantially the same plane as the conveyor belt 12. One end of the recording medium S is placed on the lower plate portion 16.

  The conveyor belt 12 is composed of an endless belt that is stretched over two pulleys 11A and 11B. As shown also in FIG. 2, the transport belt 12 has an angle with respect to the guide 14, and is arranged so as to approach the guide 14 as it goes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction X.

  Holding plates 18 </ b> A and 18 </ b> B are arranged on the upper side of the conveyor belt 12. The holding plate 18A is arranged on the guide 14 side, and the holding plate 18B is arranged on the side farther from the guide 14 than the holding plate 18A. The holding plates 18 </ b> A and 18 </ b> B are long and are disposed along the conveyor belt 12 so as to face the conveyor belt 12 with a predetermined distance apart.

  A circular arrangement hole 19 is formed in the holding plate 18A. A plurality (seven in this embodiment) of the arrangement holes 19 are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. A ball 20 is arranged in each arrangement hole 19.

  The ball 20 is a sphere, has a diameter slightly smaller than the arrangement hole 19, and is exposed to the conveying belt 12 side as shown in FIG. The ball 20 is placed on the conveyor belt 12 and is freely rotatable (non-directional). The size and the number of the balls 20 and the arrangement holes 19 may be set according to the pressing force required for the recording medium S. Further, since the recording paper S is conveyed while slipping on the conveying belt 12, the ball 20 is preferably made of glass, plastic or the like having a relatively low friction coefficient.

  In addition, the size relationship between the ball 20 and the arrangement hole 19 is not necessarily the arrangement hole 19> the ball 20 as long as the ball 20 is placed on the transport belt 12 so as to be freely rotatable. The arrangement hole 19 <the ball 20 may be sufficient.

  The holding plate 18B is wider than the holding plate 18A, and is arranged along the guide 14 of the conveyor belt 12 and the opposite side end. A circular arrangement hole 22 is formed in the holding plate 18B. A plurality (seven in this embodiment) of the arrangement holes 22 are arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction X so as to be arranged on the side closer to the guide 14 and arranged at a position farther from the guide 14 toward the downstream side. Yes. For the three upstream sides in the transport direction X, the distance from the guide 14 is configured to be closer than the width of the recording medium S, and for the other four downstream sides, the distance from the guide 14 is the distance of the recording medium S. It is configured farther than the width. A ball 21 is arranged in each arrangement hole 22.

  The ball 21 is a sphere and has a diameter slightly smaller than the arrangement hole 22, and is exposed to the conveying belt 12 side as shown in FIG. 3. It is placed on the ball 21 and the conveyor belt 12, and can be freely rotated (omnidirectionally). Four of the balls 21 on the downstream side in the transport direction X are not placed on the recording medium S and are transported when one end side of the recording medium S is arranged along the abutting surface 15A of the guide 14. It abuts on the belt 12.

  Note that the size and number of the balls 21 and the arrangement holes 22 may be set according to the pressing force required for the recording medium S. The ball 20 is also preferably made of a material such as glass or plastic having a relatively low friction coefficient because the recording medium is conveyed while slipping on the conveying belt 12.

  Further, the size relationship between the ball 21 and the arrangement hole 22 does not necessarily need to be the arrangement hole 22> the ball 21. The ball 21 is placed on the conveyor belt 12 so as to be freely rotatable. For example, the arrangement hole 22 <the ball 21 may be sufficient.

  Next, a transport operation in the transport apparatus 10 having the above configuration will be described.

  The pulleys 11 </ b> A and 11 </ b> B of the transport device 10 are rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow Y by a driving unit (not shown), whereby the transport belt 12 rotates in the transport direction X. The recording medium S is fed between the conveying belt 12 and the balls 20 and 21 from the upstream side in the conveying direction X, and is sandwiched between the conveying belt 12 and the balls 20 and 21. Normally, on the upstream side in the transport direction X, the recording medium S is separated from the abutment surface 15A of the guide 14, and is abutted against the abutment surface 15A by being transported downstream. When the recording medium S is abutted against the abutting surface 15A, the recording medium S is conveyed in a direction parallel to the guide 14 while slipping between the conveying belts 12 with the side end along the abutting surface 15A. Thereby, one end side of the recording medium S is arranged along the abutting surface 15A of the guide 14, and the side registration and the side skew of the recording medium S are corrected. At this time, since the recording medium S is pressed against the conveyance belt 12 by the weight of the balls 20 and 21, the conveyance force by the conveyance belt 12 can be reliably transmitted to the recording medium S. Also, since the rotation direction of the balls 20 and 21 can be changed in accordance with the traveling direction of the recording medium S, compared with the case where the side registration and the side skew are corrected by using a skew roll, the wrinkles of the recording medium S are reduced. Bending can be suppressed.

  When one end side of the recording medium S is arranged along the abutting surface 15A of the guide 14, the ball 21 is detached from the recording medium S, and the recording medium S is pressed against the conveying belt 12 only by the ball 20. Therefore, as compared with the case where both the balls 20 and 21 are placed on the recording medium S, the force with which the balls 20 and 21 are abutted against the abutting surface 15A is weakened, and the buckling of the recording medium S can be further suppressed. .

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. About this embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the part similar to 1st Embodiment, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the transfer device 30 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a top view of the transfer device 30 as viewed from above. The conveyance device 30 includes a conveyance belt 12, a guide 14, a sensor 28, a holding plate 18 </ b> A, an adjustment holding plate 32, a driving device 34, and balls 20 and 40. The configurations of the guide 14, the conveyor belt 12, and the holding plate 18A are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  A sensor 28 is disposed on the downstream side of the guide 14. Two sensors 28 are flush with the abutting surface 15A, and two sensors 28 are arranged at intervals in the transport direction X. The sensor 28 is connected to the driving device 34, and outputs a contact signal to the driving device 34 when the recording medium S is in contact with both.

  On the upper side of the conveyor belt 12, an adjustment holding plate 32 is disposed in parallel with the holding plate 18A. The adjustment holding plate 32 includes a slide plate 32A on the bottom surface. The configuration other than the slide plate 32A is the same as that of the holding plate 18A. The holding plate 18A and the adjustment holding plate 32 are elongated along the transport direction X, and are disposed so as to face the transport belt 12 with a predetermined distance therebetween.

  A circular arrangement hole 36 is formed in the adjustment holding plate 32. A plurality (seven in this embodiment) of the arrangement holes 36 are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. A ball 40 is arranged in each arrangement hole 36. The ball 40 is the same type as the ball 20, and the arrangement hole 36 is the same type as the arrangement hole 19.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the slide plate 32 </ b> A is disposed below the adjustment holding plate 32, and one end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction X is connected to the drive device 34. The slide plate 32 </ b> A is movable along the longitudinal direction and is slid by the drive device 34. The driving device 34 can be configured by a solenoid or the like.

  A movement hole 38 is formed in the slide plate 32 </ b> A at a position corresponding to the arrangement hole 36. The four downstream movement holes 38 </ b> A in the transport direction X have the same diameter as the arrangement hole 36. The three upstream movement holes 38 </ b> B have a larger diameter than the arrangement hole 36. Due to the movement of the slide plate 32A, the movement hole 38A is moved, the opening size of the lower side of the arrangement hole 36 is reduced, and the ball 40 is lifted and is not in contact with the recording medium S. On the other hand, the movement hole 38B is moved by the movement of the slide plate 32A, but the movement hole 38B has a diameter that does not affect the opening size of the lower side of the arrangement hole 36. Press against the conveyor belt 12.

  Next, a transport operation in the transport device 30 having the above configuration will be described.

  The pulleys 11 </ b> A and 11 </ b> B of the transport device 10 are rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow Y by a driving unit (not shown), whereby the transport belt 12 rotates in the transport direction X. The recording medium S is fed between the conveying belt 12 and the balls 20 and 40 from the upstream side in the conveying direction X, and is sandwiched between the conveying belt 12 and the balls 20 and 40. The recording medium S is conveyed downstream and abutted against the abutting surface 15A. When the recording medium S is abutted against the abutting surface 15A, the recording medium S is conveyed in a direction parallel to the guide 14 while slipping between the conveying belts 12 with the side end along the abutting surface 15A. At this time, since the recording medium S is pressed against the conveying belt 12 by the weight of the balls 20 and 40, the conveying force by the conveying belt 12 can be reliably transmitted to the recording medium S. Also, since the rotation direction of the balls 20 and 40 can be changed in accordance with the traveling direction of the recording medium S, compared with the case where the side registration and the side skew are corrected using a skew roll, the length of the recording medium S is reduced. Bending can be suppressed.

  When the position correction of the recording medium S is completed and one end of the recording medium S is arranged along the abutting surface 15A of the guide 14, the recording medium S comes into contact with both of the sensors 28. As a result, a contact signal is output to the drive device 34, and the drive device 34 slides the slide plate 32A in the transport direction X. The slide plate 32A is moved from the position shown in FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B. Move to the indicated position. By this movement, the ball 40 disposed in the movement hole 38A is lifted and separated from the recording medium S. As a result, the recording medium S is pressed only by the balls 20 and the recording medium S is pressed against the conveyor belt 12. Therefore, as compared with the case where both the balls 20 and 40 are placed on the recording medium S, the force with which the balls 20 and 40 are abutted against the abutting surface 15A becomes weak, and the buckling of the recording medium S can be further suppressed. .

  In the present embodiment, balls of the same size are used in a row far from the guide 14 and in a row close to the guide 14, but balls having different weights may be arranged. In this case, when a large force is applied at a position close to the guide 14, it becomes easy to buckle. Therefore, as shown in FIG. preferable.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. About this embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the part similar to 1st, 2nd embodiment, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the transfer apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a top view of the transfer device 50 viewed from above. The conveying device 50 includes the conveying belt 12, the sensor 28, the frame body 52, the guide 14, the holding plate 54, the driving device 56, and the ball 20. The configurations of the guide 14, the sensor 28, and the conveyor belt 12 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  The frame body 52 has a box shape that accommodates the conveyor belt 12 and is open at the top, and the rotation shafts 11S of the pulleys 11A and 11B protrude from the side surfaces. On the downstream side in the transport direction X, a driving device 56 is disposed outside the frame body 52. The frame body 52 is connected to the driving device 56, and is rotated by the driving device 56 with the connecting portion with the driving device 56 as a fulcrum, whereby the conveying belt 12 is also rotated and the conveying direction in the conveying belt 12 is performed. Can be changed.

  A holding plate 54 is disposed on the upper side of the conveyor belt 12. Two holding plates 54 are arranged along the conveyor belt 12. The holding plate 54 has the same shape as the holding plate 18A. A circular arrangement hole 19 is formed in the holding plate 54. A plurality (seven in this embodiment) of the arrangement holes 19 are formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. A ball 20 is arranged in each arrangement hole 19.

  Next, a transport operation in the transport device 50 having the above configuration will be described.

  The pulleys 11 </ b> A and 11 </ b> B of the transport device 50 are rotationally driven in the direction of arrow Y by a driving unit (not shown), whereby the transport belt 12 rotates in the transport direction X. The recording medium S is fed between the conveying belt 12 and the ball 20 from the upstream side in the conveying direction X and is sandwiched between the conveying belt 12 and the ball 20. The recording medium S is conveyed downstream and abutted against the abutting surface 15A. When the recording medium S is abutted against the abutting surface 15A, the recording medium S is conveyed in a direction parallel to the guide 14 while slipping between the conveying belts 12 with the side end along the abutting surface 15A. At this time, since the recording medium S is pressed against the conveyance belt 12 by its own weight, the conveyance force by the conveyance belt 12 can be reliably transmitted to the recording medium S. Further, since the rotation direction of the ball 20 can be changed in accordance with the traveling direction of the recording medium S, the buckling of the recording medium S can be reduced as compared with the case where the side registration and the side skew are corrected using a skew roll. Can be suppressed.

  When the position correction of the recording medium S is completed and one end of the recording medium S is arranged along the abutting surface 15A of the guide 14, the recording medium S comes into contact with both of the sensors 28. As a result, a contact signal is output to the driving device 56, and the driving device 56 rotates the frame body 52 in the direction of arrow D, so that the conveying belt 12 is moved from the position shown in FIG. ) Move to the position shown. Thereby, the recording medium S is conveyed in parallel with the guide 14, and the force with which the recording medium S is abutted against the abutting surface 15A becomes weak, so that the buckling of the recording medium S can be further suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, the conveyance direction of the conveyance belt 12 is changed. However, the guide 14 is slightly rotated away from the conveyance belt 12 to reduce the force applied to the recording medium S to reduce the recording medium S. Buckling can also be suppressed.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the modification of the conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view which shows the conveying apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Conveying device 12 Conveying belt 14 Guide 15A Abutting surface 18A Holding plate 18B Holding plate 19 Arrangement hole 19 Arrangement hole 19 Arrangement hole 20 Ball 21 Ball 22 Arrangement hole 28 Sensor 30 Conveying device 32A Slide plate 32 Adjustment holding plate 34 Driving device 36 Arrangement hole 38 Moving hole 40 Ball 50 Conveying device 52 Frame body 54 Holding plate 56 Driving device S Recording medium W Conveying path

Claims (6)

A guide provided on one side of the transport path for positioning the side edge of the transported recording medium;
A conveying belt that obliquely conveys the recording medium so as to abut against the guide;
A plurality of clamping members that are arranged so as to be loaded with their own weight on the conveyor belt, and are non-directionally rotatable.
A holding member for holding the clamping member;
A buckling suppressing means for reducing a force with which the recording medium is pressed against the guide after one end side of the recording medium is disposed along the guide;
Conveying device equipped with.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the buckling suppression unit arranges a plurality of the clamping members at a position farther from the guide than the width of the recording medium.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that detects a position of the recording medium on the transport belt.   The buckling suppression means changes the direction of the transport belt so as to approach a direction parallel to the guide after the sensor detects that one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide. The conveying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein   The buckling suppression unit makes a plurality of the clamping members non-contact with the recording medium after the sensor detects that one end side of the recording medium is arranged along the guide. The transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the transfer device is moved as described above.   The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clamping member is a spherical ball.

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